Marketing Your Barrie Waterfront Property

Those lazy, hazy days of summer have long passed on Lake Simcoe and our thoughts have now turned to the Holidays, family get togethers and perhaps a trip to the sunny south to get away from the ice and snow.

Just as the seasons change, so do we. For many different reasons such as health, lifestyle change, economics or retirement, a Barrie waterfront property may not have the same appeal it did at one time. If this is a recreational propertyand you are maintaining another residence, the property taxes, maintenance and insurance costs can really add up. Perhaps freeing up some of your investment so you can enjoy more of your retirement is something worth considering. If this sounds like your situation you’ve come to the right place!

When it comes to marketing Barrie luxury homes and waterfront properties, you are dealing with an entirely different market than the average home. Less than 1% of potential buyers are looking for luxury homes in the City of Barrie and surrounding area making that market very narrow.

There are currently 1477 homes listed on the Barrie & District MLS system with 192 having a listing price of over $600,000, and 50 of them being waterfront properties. * That’s 13% of our inventory currently available on the market giving potential luxury Buyers lots of choices. So, how do you make sure your home attracts the attention of those buyers?

That’s where an experienced Realtor comes in! First of all, setting the right price is the most important factor in the marketing of your home. Pricing the property to sell involves more than just a “For Sale” sign and some ads in a Toronto paper hoping that a suitable buyer will be sitting down reading a small ad in the “out of town properties” section, calling an agent and then putting an offer in on your home.

Today’s luxury home buyers are affluent and educated. They’ve done their homework. The first place they will look is the Internet at www.Realtor.caor Google using specific key word searches like “Barrie waterfront property for sale” or “Lake Simcoe luxury homes”, to see what is available in the area they are interested in.

An experienced Realtor will show you the comparable sales and current listings of waterfront properties similar to yours and together, will set a realistic sale price to get your home sold! Potential sellers should also do their homework and know the competition in their neighborhood. For luxury and waterfront homes, many factors come into play, not just the proximity to waterfront or the square footage of the home, but the quality of the high end finishing today’s high end buyers demand. Check out some of the neighborhood open houses one weekend and see how your home compares!

Coming soon. Look for Part 2 - Marketing your Luxury Home - Preparing the Home for Sale.

For more information regarding Barrie luxury townhome, Barrie waterfront estate and Ontario luxury waterfront property please visit, www.alkerton.com - Barrie & District Association of Realtors of November 23/11